Shoe with Conforming Upper

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises articles of footwear that have a conforming upper to provide comfort and support to the wearer. The upper portion may comprise a cushioning layer of polyurethane foam or other materials having similar characteristics. In addition to the cushioning layer, the shoe upper is also composed of a fabric layer. In preferred embodiments, the stretch fabric is 4-way elastic fabric. 4-way stretch fabric may be comprised of e.g., nylon or other elastane or spandex material or a combination thereof.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/358,714, filed Jun. 25, 2010, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoes typically consist of an upper portion and a sole. The upperportion of the shoe contours most of the sides, top, and back of thefoot, while the sole contours the bottom of the foot. As the bottom ofthe foot is the portion of the foot which receives the most impact, mostfootwear manufacturers concentrate on providing a comfortable sole fortheir footwear.

However, the upper portion of the shoe is often overlooked in terms ofcomfort. Everyday wearing of some shoes may lead to discomfort for thewearer as a result of many factors such as friction, rigidness,tightness and non-conformity to the foot. Additionally, foot ailmentssuch as bunions, calluses, hammertoes, corns and blisters can beextremely painful, as the friction caused by having the shoe upper rubagainst those sore spots may exacerbate the pain. Therefore, even withan extra cushioned and supportive sole, the upper portion may be themost uncomfortable portion of the shoe. This may be especiallyproblematic not just for the normal wearer, but also if a wearer hasfoot ailments that affect the top or sides of the foot.

Moreover, the tightness of a shoe upper may even be the cause of suchailments. A narrow toe box can crowd the toes together, leaving them ina triangular shape. The combination of the narrow toe box along with anupper comprised of a non-stretchable material leaves the wearer's toeswith insufficient room.

In addition, people's feet expand when they stand, reduce when they sit,and expand and reduce at different times of the day and month. Theconstant expansion and reduction of the size of the foot is not takeninto consideration with typical shoes, as the uppers maintain inconstant position, regardless of the change in the wearer's foot.

Stability and support can also be a problem. Many shoes, such asflip-flops, lack a supportive upper, which can lead to foot and backpain.

Therefore, there remains a need in the art to provide a shoe whichincorporates an upper portion which addresses the issues of comfort,flexibility, and stability/support for the wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoewhich has a conforming upper portion to assist in the comfort of theshoe and to provide support for the foot for the normal wearer with nofoot ailments.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe whichhas a conforming upper portion to assist in the comfort of the shoe andto provide support for the foot for the normal wearer with footailments.

In certain embodiments, the present invention is directed to a shoe witha conforming upper portion, wherein the conforming upper portionsurrounds at least a portion of the top, sides, and back of the wearer'sfoot.

In certain embodiments, the present invention is directed to a shoecomprising a sole and an upper comprising a cushioning layer. Inpreferred embodiments, the cushioning layer comprises polyurethane foam,or other material having similar characteristics to polyurethane foam.

In certain embodiments, the present invention is directed to an upperportion of a shoe, wherein the upper portion comprises a cushioninglayer comprising polyurethane foam, or other material having similarcharacteristics to polyurethane foam.

In preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to a shoecomprising a sole and an upper, wherein the upper comprises a lininglayer, a cushioning layer, and a 4-way stretch fabric layer.

As used herein, the terms “memory foam” and “polyurethane foam” are usedinterchangeably.

As used herein, the terms “footwear” and “shoe” are usedinterchangeably, and are meant to encompass any style of footwear,including, but not limited to, boots, clogs, sandals, Mary-Jane,slip-ons, sneakers, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts a detailed view of the layers of a shoe upper accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of the present invention in which the styleof the shoe is a clog.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the present invention in which the styleof the shoe is a Mary Jane.

FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of the present invention in which the styleof the shoe is a slip-on.

The figures referred to above should be understood to solely providerepresentative embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The shoes of the present invention allow the wearer to have stylishfootwear without sacrificing comfort, particularly comfort on the top,sides, and back of the foot. The upper-foot comfort is achieved byproviding a conforming upper which conforms to the wearer's foot uponinsertion of the foot into the shoe. The conforming upper is beneficialto the wearers with normal feet, as it provides extra comfort,flexibility and support. Moreover, the conforming upper is particularlyadvantageous for the wearer who suffers from foot ailments such asbunions, calluses, hammertoes, corns and blisters. As the upper portionof the shoe has elastic-type properties, the upper can expand when thefoot expands and return to its initial position when the foot reduces insize. Therefore, if the wearer has, e.g., a bunion, the upper willconform even to the portion of the foot which has the bunion.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the conforming upperalso provides support by countering the wearer's foot upon insertion ofthe foot into the shoe. This provides stability which may help reducefoot and back pain.

For added all-around comfort, the conforming upper can be combined withshock absorbing insoles/soles (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No.7,493,230, which is hereby incorporated by reference).

The cushioning layer of the upper of the present invention hasconforming and countering characteristics , and requires a materialwhich specifically exhibits these characteristics. Memory foam istherefore the preferred material used to create the cushioning layer ofthe conforming upper used in the present invention. Memory foam is apolyurethane material, often referred to as visco-elastic foam. Memoryfoam typically comes in two forms, a high-density foam which conforms toobjects in reaction to warm temperature, and a lower density foam whichconforms to objects as a result of pressure sensitivity. The presentinvention contemplates the use of both high and low density memory foam.In preferred embodiments, the density of the foam used is such to allowfor slow recovery. Preferably, the foam density is from about 10 kg/m³to about 200 kg/m³, from about 25 kg/m³ to about 175 kg/m³, from about50 kg/m³ to about 150 kg/m³, or from about 75 kg/m³ to about 100 kg/m³.The most preferred density range of the memory foam used in the presentinvention is from about 75 kg/m³ to about 100 kg/m³.

It is important to note that the present invention contemplates the useof any material having characteristics similar to those of memory foamfor use in the cushioning layer. For example, in place of memory foam,any material which provides cushioning, support and flexibility, andhaving a density similar to that of memory foam can be used. Thus,materials having a density of from about 10 kg/m³ to about 200 kg/m³,from about 25 kg/m³ to about 175 kg/m³, from about 50 kg/m³ to about 150kg/m³, or preferably from about 75 kg/m³ to about 100 kg/m³, while stillproviding cushioning, support and flexibility are contemplated for usein the uppers of the present invention. For example, neoprene can alsobe used as the cushioning layer.

In preferred embodiments, the cushioning layer makes up greater than 20%of the upper, greater than 40% of the upper, greater than 60% of theupper, or greater than 80% of the upper.

In addition to the cushioning layer, the shoe upper is also composed ofa fabric layer. The fabric is preferably a stretchable fabric. Inpreferred embodiments, the stretch fabric is 4-way elastic fabric. 4-waystretch fabric may be comprised of, e.g., nylon or other elastane orspandex material or a combination thereof.

In certain embodiments, the shoe upper also has a lining layer. Thelining can be composed of any thin material which allows for integrityof the memory foam to be maintained. Preferably, the lining is a knitfabric such as jersey, wool, rayon, cotton or a cotton-synthetic blend,or a combination thereof, although any thin fabric which maintains theintegrity of the memory foam while still providing comfort to the wearermay be used.

Additionally, antimicrobial agents may be used in the shoe upper. Incertain embodiments, antimicrobial agents are incorporated into a fabricused in the lining and/or the cushioning layer. In other embodiments,antimicrobial solution may be layered or sprayed onto the lining and/orcushioning layer. Examples of antimicrobial agents which may be used inthe present invention include, but are not limited to, tricolsan,organofunctional saline (known as Aegis®), silver, trichlocarban, orother similar agents or a combination thereof.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the layers of theshoe upper are arranged as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the top layer isthe fabric layer 101. The fabric layer 101 is the outermost layer whichis exposed to the environment. The fabric layer can be any color and/orpattern and is preferably composed of a 4-way stretch fabric. In FIG. 1,the cushioning layer 102 is the intermediate layer. However, inembodiments where there is no lining present (not shown) the cushioninglayer will be the layer that is exposed to the wearer's foot. Inembodiments wherein the lining is present, the lining 103 will be theinner-most layer, exposed to the wearer's foot and the cushioning layer102 will be the intermediate layer.

In certain embodiments, the layers are attached to each other by way ofan adhesive suitable for use with the materials, such as, e.g., hot meltadhesives, double component adhesives, volatile solvent adhesives, waterbased adhesives, etc. In other embodiments, the layers may be moldedtogether by way of heat processing. In alternate embodiments, the layersmay be attached to each other by any suitable means known in the art.

The upper portions of the shoes described herein may be used in any typeof shoe, boot, etc., which would benefit from the support and comfortprovided by the fabric and the memory foam and may be used for anysuitable style, such as a clog, slip-on, Mary Jane, boot, etc.

For example, FIG. 2 depicts a shoe contemplated by the present inventionin the form of a clog 200. In such an embodiment, the fabric layer 101of the upper surrounds the entire top and side portions of the foot anda portion of the heel, as does the lining 103. The sole of the shoe 104is connected to the upper by any means known in the art.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the present invention wherein the shoeis in the style of a Mary Jane 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the fabric layer101 of the upper extends over only a portion of the top of the foot.

FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of the present invention wherein the shoeis in the style of a slip-on 400. In such an embodiment, the fabriclayer 101 of the upper extends over the entire top and sides portions ofthe foot, as well as the entire heel.

In light of the foregoing disclosure of the invention and description ofvarious embodiments, those skill in the art will readily understand thatmodifications and adaptations can be made without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention. All such modifications andadaptations are intended to be covered by the following claims.

1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole; and an upper comprisingpolyurethane foam.
 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein theupper further comprises a fabric.
 3. The article of footwear of claim 2,wherein the fabric comprises nylon.
 4. The article of footwear of claim2, wherein the upper further comprises a lining.
 5. The article offootwear of claim 4, wherein the lining comprises a knit fabric.
 6. Thearticle of footwear of claim 2, wherein the fabric is layered on top ofthe polyurethane foam.
 7. The article of footwear of claim 4, whereinthe polyurethane foam is layered on top of the lining and wherein thefabric is layered on top of the polyurethane foam.
 8. The article offootwear of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane foam has a density ofbetween about 10 kg/m³ to about 200 kg/m³.
 9. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of between about 25kg/m³ to about 175 kg/m³.
 10. The article of footwear of claim 1,wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of between about 50 kg/m³ toabout 150 kg/m³.
 11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein thepolyurethane foam has a density of between about 75 kg/m³ to about 100kg/m³.
 12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper furthercomprises an antimicrobial.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 12,wherein the antimicrobial comprises triclosan, organofunctional saline,silver, trichlocarban or a combination thereof.
 14. An upper for anarticle of footwear comprising polyurethane foam.
 15. The upper of claim14 further comprising a fabric.
 16. The upper of claim 15, wherein thefabric comprises nylon.
 17. The upper of claim 15 further comprising alining. 18-19. (canceled)
 20. The upper of claim 17, wherein thepolyurethane foam is layered on top of the lining and wherein the fabricis layered on top of the polyurethane foam. 21-24. (canceled)
 25. Theupper of claim 14 further comprising an antimicrobial.
 26. (canceled)27. A method of alleviating foot ailments of a wearer comprisingproviding an article of footwear to the wearer, wherein the article offootwear comprises a sole; and an upper which conforms to the wearer'sfoot upon insertion of the foot into the article of footwear. 28-41.(canceled)